Over the last several months, there have been some science-based news headlines that have caught my attention just for their topics alone. They strayed from the norm, offered unique insight about a particular topic, or were just straight-up unusual. Others were groundbreaking, or innovative within their respective fields. At any rate, this roundup will highlight those exciting news stories, which at the least, deserve another read-through, or at best, will provide a story you may have missed.
1: Bandai Zeonic Technics Robotics and Programming Kit
(Image credit: Bandai/3rd Factory)
Last month Bandai’s offshoot company Bn Bot unveiled their Zeonic Technics Robotics and Programming Kit, which is inspired by the Zeonic Company (who manufacture mobile suits) from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime. The kit is designed around STEM and allows kids (and adults) to build their own robots and program them for basic tasks, such as walking and actuating the robot’s appendages. Bn Bot has partnered with several other tech and education companies to develop the robotics and curricula kit, which currently includes the MS-06V Zaku Tank Canon and MS-O6 Zaku II suits.
2: NASA Creates Unofficial Gamma-Ray Constellations Featuring Godzilla, The Hulk, and More
(Image credit: NASA)
Several weeks ago, Scientists with NASA’s Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope outlined a series of “unofficial” modern constellation formations in the gamma-ray sky, which is invisible to us humans, and only perceived using the telescopes Gama-Ray Burst Monitor. There are 21 new constellations that include sci-fi icons such as Godzilla, the Star Ship Enterprise, and the Tardis. They’ve also added Einstein, the Hulk, Mount Fuji, the Eiffel Tower, and several others. The constellations were created to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Fermi Telescope, which has already mapped-out 3,000 different gamma-ray bursts since its launch.
3: The City of Chengdu Looks to Reduce Light Pollution using Artificial Moon
(Image credit: Pexels)
Perhaps one of the more ambitious science endeavors reported over the last few months was the announcement of the city of Chengdu’s plans to launch an artificial moon, or “illumination” satellite in order to curb light pollution and conserve energy by reducing street lighting. The satellite, being designed by the Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute (CASC) would effectively amplify the moon’s natural light by a factor of eight by using solar panel-like wings with a highly-reflective coating.
4: JAXA’s Rovers Deployed by the Hayabusa2 Spacecraft Grabs Video from Asteroid Ryugu
(Image credit: JAXA)
In September, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astonished the world when their Hayabusa2 spacecraft deployed a pair of rovers on the surface of the Ryugu asteroid after a 3 ½-year journey, taking the first ever video of an asteroid surface. The MINERVA-II2 (Rover-1B) was able to capture 15 frames over a period of 74-minutes showing the sun traversing over the Ryugu’s “sky.”
The rover also took a series of images as it hopped from one location to the next, producing detailed images of the surface. JAXA plans to send another hopping robot next year with the ultimate goal of retrieving a rock sample and return it to Earth, in hopes of finding out more about the origin of the solar system.
5: Lockheed Martin Unveils New Lunar Lander Concept for NASA’s Lunar Gateway Project
(Image credit: Lockheed Martin)
In early October, Lockheed Martin unveiled its new reusable Lunar Lander concept as part of NASA’s Gateway Project, which is twice the size of previous landers used during the Apollo missions, and designed to carry four astronauts and a ton of cargo. The lander is expected to integrate into NASA’s Orion spacecraft, and the crew can remain on the moon’s surface for up to two weeks before needing to return to a Gateway station in lunar orbit.
Not only will this allow detailed exploration of the moon and it’s elements, but it will also provide a starting point for exploring deeper into the solar system. NASA estimates that they will complete the Lunar Gateway station by 2026, a laudable goal, hopefully, the funding will hold out for completion.
6: Stephen Hawking’s Motorized Chair Fetches $393,000 at Auction
(Image credit: Christie’s)
One of the more unusual science news headlines to hit this month dealt with auctioning some of the famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking’s possessions- including his 1965 Cambridge University thesis, "Properties of Expanding Universes,” and one of his motorized wheelchairs. The Christie’s Auction held on November 8th saw his doctoral thesis fetch an astounding $767,000, while the chair netted $393,000.
Professor Hawking used the BEC Mobility Wheelchair from the late 80’s to the 90’s before he switched to a series of different chairs as better technology became available. His last wheelchair was capable of traveling 20-miles (@ 8mph) on a single battery charge, was equipped with a Lenovo laptop, had an IR receiver (to track cheek movements), and a CallText 5010 computerized voice system.
7: SpaceLife Origin Announces Plans to Birth Extraterrestrial Children by 2024
(Image credit: SpaceLife Origin)
Netherlands-based startup SpaceLife Origin is looking to bring off-world child reproduction a reality, and do it by the year 2024. According to company CEO Kees Mulder, “If humanity wants to become a multi-planetary species, we also need to learn how to reproduce in space.” That said, the company has laid-out several Mission Programs, each loftier in scope, with the first dubbed “Mission Ark,” whereby 1,000 protected tubes of human reproduction cells will circle the planet in low-earth orbit (300-miles) in a protective ARK, ready for when they’re needed.
Mission Lotus will use a ‘Space-Embryo-Incubator’ to conceive embryos, which are then sent back to earth where the pregnancies will occur. Finally, Mission Cradle- a human child will be birthed in space. One lucky female will orbit the planet 250-miles above the earth for a 24 to 36-hour mission, where a team of trained medical professionals will help with the birth process. “It’s a small step for a baby, but a giant baby-step for mankind,”- Dr. Egbert Edelbroek, SpaceLife Origins Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer
8: Italian Physicists Create Mathematical Equation for Making Great Pizza
(Image credit: Pexels)
Italian physicists have finally solved on the world’s greatest mysteries- how to create the perfect pizza. In a recently published paper entitled “The Physics of baking good Pizza,” the scientists detailed what goes into making a great pie- curved brick ovens, specific temperature and time, and good ingredients. According to the scientists, to make the perfect Margherita pizza, an arched brick oven with a fire-brick bottom is heated to 625F (330C). The pie is then placed inside and heated for exactly 2-minutes to bake the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and dough on all sides evenly.
The secret is in the oven, which ensures heat is radiated uniformly, however if more ingredients are needed on the pie, the bake time is increased to 30-seconds, and the pizza is held up off the oven floor using a wooden or aluminum pizza spade. It’s like turning the oven on broil and cooking the top without burning the bottom of the pizza.
9: SAIL Researchers Breakdown the Science Behind the Art of Beatboxing
(Image credit: SAIL)
Linguists and audio engineers from the University of Southern California’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory (SAIL) have been researching how beatboxers use their tongues, larynx’s, lips, jaws- any parts used for speech really, to make percussive sounds. To get a better idea behind the mechanics of beatboxing, the researchers used several volunteers to undergo a real-time MRI scan to observe the vocal tracts just before sound was made to see if those movements are different from ordinary speech.
Previous research suggested that beatboxers could only create sounds that fit into patterns of phonetics of known world languages. What they found was the opposite; beatboxers can create sounds not heard of in any language and have an acrobatic ability to put together multiple different sounds to get a unique percussive sound. They can listen to a sound such as a snare drum and task their tongues, lips, larynx and so forth to mimic that sound.
10: Rockefeller Scientists Create New Drug to Fight TB from Dirt
(Image credit: Rockefeller University)
Doctors have been using antibiotics to treat infections and diseases for decades, but some of those infections and diseases are increasingly becoming immune to treatments. One such nasty disease- Tuberculosis (TB), has been making a comeback over the years, and when confronted with current drugs, it often mutates and becomes more resistant.
Researchers from the Rockefeller University have taken to dirt to combat the infectious disease, more specifically- a source of bacteria found in rich soil. Most doctors will prescribe the antibiotic rifamycin for TB cases, but the disease is becoming immune to its effects. To get around this issue, the researchers mapped the genes of microbes found in various soil samples and discovered a group of natural antibiotics known as kangs (kanglemycins), which TB can’t resist.
These new antibiotic microbes share nearly the same genes as rifamycin but are supercharged at knocking out TB- meaning they act like, and can attach themselves similar to rifamycin, but deliver a knockout blow to the disease.
There are a ton of great, and unusual science news stories that can be found online, and while some can be found on multiple news sites, others tend to be buried in published papers, on academic websites or announced through a company’s press release. It only takes a bit of searching to find great news that can be interesting, informative, and funny (in some cases all three at the same time), and these entries fit those requirements quite nicely.
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